


Trapped in a Snowstorm

by hyumagashi



Category: Terminator (Movies)
Genre: Different AU, Gen, John is in his 20s-ish, Light Angst, Snow/Forest setting, probably angst?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2020-12-24 16:49:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21102755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyumagashi/pseuds/hyumagashi
Summary: Sarah Connor has been missing for 9 months. And after John finds out about this, he makes it his mission to find her and hopefully move her somewhere safer. Though, he understand it’s going to be different due to weather conditions. Which is why he brings the T-800 with him.





	1. Chapter 1

Sarah Connor was here. Or at least that’s was what John had been so sure of mere moments after finding her. He wasn’t even sure how he was able to get lucky enough to find her location, but he was glad that he did. John has been nothing but nervous about her disappearance, and was beginning to question if she was even alive or not. It had been 9 months, the police were _supposedly_ looking for her. Explaining to John that they were doing the best they could. But their “best” simply wasn’t enough for John.

Especially when the case was dragged out for as long as it was. John decides to take matters into his own hands, referring to the tricks that he used back in his rebellious days when he used to take money that obviously wasn’t his from the bank. Only, it was a little bit more complex than it was when John was 12. Sarah Connor was in this area, John could confirm that.

And so could his cybernetic bodyguard. It was a very inconvenient place to be in late November. In this area when snow was just beginning to fall. John was ready for this, given why he was wearing heavy clothing. And he did have to admit, Sarah was pretty smart for fleeing to an area like this.

The authorities couldn’t find her, if that’s what she was worried about. But why the hell would she be worried about the authorities finding her? That was what John was going to find out.

John began to exhale heavily. It was cold, obviously. But he regrets not bringing gloves, hence why his hands are always in his pockets. John felt the need to check how long this was going to take, he wanted to have a general idea of how long he needed to at least survive for. These conditions were slightly dangerous, only with Uncle Bob they were survivable to an extent.

John takes his left hand from out of his pocket, and does a flicking motion with his wrist so that he doesn’t have to take his other hand out of his pocket.

Taking the watched hand out of his pocket was already a chore enough. He just wanted to know how long it would take, and thus the watch proceeded to show him.

3 days... was this even possible? Even with Uncle Bob? John takes a shaky breath, the breath was a mixture of nervousness, and just being cold. He puts his hand back in his pocket, beginning to wonder if this was even worth it. As he listened intently to the sound of his boots making contact with the snow beneath his feet. Could be worse, he could have been alone.

Uncle Bob begins to examine John’s movement. Obviously, his hands are cold. Uncle Bob didn’t really need anything to keep his hands warm. Even if he did want to attempt to be a little more human. If there was a chance where he could get him at least something to warm him up, he’d take it. John needed warm hands if he was serious about this. And after a bit of walking, the two of them find themselves outside of a...gun store? This was quite a strange location for a gun store, but supposedly it made sense.

As people did like to hunt in these areas. And besides, maybe these tools would be useful in getting John some food. John figures they should take this chance, and begins to walk in it’s direction. With Uncle Bob following him.

The two of them walk through the doors of the shop. The feeling of warmth felt so inviting to John. Especially after he had just walked what felt like 30 miles in below freezing weather.

”Afternoon, Fellas. What can I get ya’?”

The clerk felt so welcoming, almost a little too welcoming for someone who ran a gun store. But John wasn’t complaining. Maybe he was in a good mood, John had no reason at all to ruin it. Uncle Bob looked around the store, hoping to find a pair of gloves for John to keep his hands warm. And that, he did. John gave a nod back at the clerk.

Not exactly answering his question, as he needed to see what he needed. Hunting Rifle?.. It seemed maybe a lot bigger than what John thought he needed. And would most likely be too big for this shotgun holster that Uncle Bob had gifted him for his 18th birthday. A shotgun would most likely suffice. Strangely enough, they did have shotguns! Which made John think.. why would a gun store most likely here for hunting rifles have shotguns?

John didn’t know, and he didn’t care either. Since Uncle Bob already had one, clearly fit for these conditions, John just got something for himself. He made sure it could handle these conditions, before getting rounds for it and offering to buy them.

”Just these.”

Sliding the Shotguns and the rounds needed for the firearm to the clerk. He pays for what he needs, before the clerk asks if there’s anything else he needs. To which Uncle Bob is more than happy to answer.

**”Gloves.”**

They make their way on the table, which strangely makes John lift an eyebrow. As he wasn’t sure what he needed gloves for. Regardless, he paid for them. The two of them said Good Day to the clerk, before walking out of the shop. And at last..John was cold again. After they made their way out side, Uncle Bob handed the gloves they had purchased to John.

**”Put these on.”**

How thoughtful...John had thought to himself after Uncle Bob had told him to put the gloves on. John begins to warm up his hands using his breath, before putting the gloves on.

”Thank you.”

Uncle Bob never knew how to reply to gratitude, so he just didn’t. The duo continued to walk, in hopes that they would find somewhat of a campsite nearby. Though, Uncle Bob was curious as to what the purpose behind money was. Why were humans so obsessed with...green pieces of paper?

**”Why do you need money?”**

How would John even answer this? On a level where the T-800 could have a basic understanding of it. But he didn’t know what he could say.

”To..buy things.”

What else was there to say about it, it was to buy things. As source of trade. To John, it was nothing to write home about. 

**”Why do you need that paper to do so?”**

Interesting question. John wasn’t sure, he had never really thought about it. He had no reason to, that was just the way the world worked?

”I don’t know. I’m not a history teacher, it’s just the way things have been.”

That’s strange, why wouldn’t you know why you needed it? It was strange to Uncle Bob, but he didn’t bother to question it, it was just time to get his hands on it now.

**”How do I get it?”**

He didn’t need to. He’d probably get into some fight with a customer if he ever dared to try and go get a job. If he even managed to get past the interview.

”You don’t need to, I’ll pay for everything.”

Nothing but silence followed after that. Uncle Bob wasn’t mad or disappointed, he just wasn’t sure what to add after that. The duo continued to walk, figuring soon they should find somewhere to rest. It had been a couple hours, the sun was starting to set, and the air around them was starting to get a lot cooler. They arrived at a campsite, with a John Connor that was trying his hardest not to shiver uncontrollably. Maybe campers had been here before them, because there was a tent already set up. Doing nothing but standing tall. Uncle Bob escorts John to the tent. Which only proved to be a little warmer than what it was outside. Uncle Bob didn’t enter the tent, as there was still things he needed to do for John’s survival.

**”Keep your arms together, you’ll trap body heat.”**

To which John began to do so. While John was keeping himself warm, Uncle Bob proceeded to attempt to light a fire. And with all of his survival files, he had managed to start one. Great. Now that this was going, John could hopefully keep himself warm. Uncle Bob makes his way back into the tent, being greeted by an already asleep John. Though he was shivering, he had managed to put himself to sleep. The T-800 entered the tent, closing it behind him. The shotgun was still in his holster, proving to be uncomfortable. Not to worry, Uncle Bob would be happy to remove it for him. He put John’s gun aside, before setting his aside as well. He wasn’t going to sleep, but he was going to need to lie down.

The fire was starting to die, and John could only rely on one thing. Uncle Bob’s body heat. That was more than likely artificial. Uncle Bob began to lie down next to John, offering to pull him closer. He pulled him close to his chest, and kept him there. This should keep John warm for the remainder of the night. The T-800 began to lie there, his eyes not offering to shut. In the event that danger was nearby. He stayed awake all night, watching over John. While John simply threw his arm over Uncle Bob. He was warm, almost as warm as he was in the shop. And he enjoyed it.

This felt strange to John, except not at all. He almost felt as though he was 12 again. When Uncle Bob was first introduced to him to protect him from the hands of the T-1000. And John enjoyed this feeling, so why was it so hard to feel like this? He almost didn’t want this to end, and he felt like it didn’t have to.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning had began to rise, thankfully there had been no sign of danger throughout the night. Maybe aside from the cold, but Uncle Bob did what he could to keep him warm through the night. And it worked for the most part, a reassuring factor would be John not letting go. Uncle Bob understood, but Uncle Bob also wanted to find Sarah as well. As quickly as possible too, because something didn’t feel right. As delicately as Uncle Bob could, he took John’s arm, and began to put it back around his other arm. Uncle Bob made sure to grab what was his, and step out of the tent. Leaving John slightly upset at the lack of his body heat. When it started to get cold again, that was his cue to wake up. Or at least get himself out of the tent. John groans, he was never much of a morning person. He also makes sure he has his shotgun, and thought it was cool how Uncle Bob set it aside for him. And begins to step out of the tent as well.

There were no major changes to the weather, the only complaint that John could have was that it was cold. Not that it would stop him. Otherwise he would have told authorities that his mother was here. John began to stretch, scratching his head.

”Good mornin’.”

To which Uncle Bob only replied with

**”Good morning.”**

The two of them didn’t bring anything other than themselves and their weapons, which made this trip a whole lot easier. They decided to take themselves, and leave the campsite. John was concerned about changes to the weather. They were going to be out here for at least 3 days, and wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything passing that would prove to be a threat to himself and possibly Uncle Bob as well. John checks his watch, and almost curses under his breath when the information was revealed to him. John began to sigh, continuing to stare at the watch placed on his left arm. He then puts that arm in his pocket, and continues to walk. Though, John appears to be a lot more worried than he needed to be.

And Uncle Bob could see this, Uncle Bob’s eyes began to focus on John letting out a breath of air, to which the cyborg assumed it was to calm himself down.

**”What did you find?”**

To which John looked back at Uncle Bob exhaling heavily through his nose.

”We can expect a snowstorm,” John infromed. Presenting the news to the cyborg was more than stressful to John, as now there was a possibility he was going to die out here. “In two or so days.” John finishes.

**”That means we must find Sarah Connor as soon as possible.”**

And he was right, how were they exactly going to do that? It seems the two of them were already a day or two behind the storm. At least that was what John thought was the case.

”I say we walk longer? Even if that means we get an hour of sleep.”

John suggests. But Uncle Bob wasn’t on board with that idea, and for pretty justifiable reasons as well.

**“Negative. At night, it gets colder. And your body will only begin to shut down.”**

And he had a point, but would that be any better than being trapped in a snowstorm? John would suffering from hypothermia either way. John shrugs, crossing his arms. His body’ll definitely shut down if they don’t make it to Sarah’s cabin in time.

**”Your body will also be in need of sleep.”**

Not only that, but Uncle Bob had no problem pushing John through the storm. And if he was lucky, he could get him to the cabin before his death. That almost made John calm down, he had Uncle Bob, and he probably didn’t even need to worry about this storm. So John doesn’t really add to the conversation, as he doesn’t even know what to add. And so the two of them keep walking, focusing on the objective at hand.

It’s been maybe four or so hours since their last interaction. And it probably would have gone a lot longer if Uncle Bob didn’t suddenly remember what he wanted to ask John. He had already known about Sarah’s disappearance, but there was something at the back of his mind that he thought would be crucial for John’s self assigned mission.

**“Why did Sarah Connor disappear?”**

John started to think about it for way longer than he needed to, because he wasn’t sure why she had left. She didn’t even know she was here until he took matters into his own hands. So he simply shrugged at the question, he wasn’t sure how to answer a question he didn’t know the answer to. However..John had a bit of a theory, if you wanted to call it that. But John started to go off on a tangent about his mother’s disappearance. And it made him think.

”She actually didn’t tell me why she left,” John states, he began to start observing his surroundings a bit more. As supposedly, this helped John think. “I do remember receiving a text from her on the day of her disappearance. Or at least what I assumed was the day she decided to run away.”

_“I’m gonna leave for awhile, John. Don’t try to find me, don’t send anybody to try and find me, don’t come to my house to try and find me, don’t even reply to this message to confirm that you saw this. I really wish I could explain, but I can’t. Don’t call me for awhile, don’t text me, and please do not get the cops to try to find me. Please, John. Listen to me, just this one time.”_

”I didn’t think much of it, I figured she was just being paranoid about something. But I respected her wishes,” John begins to sigh, realizing the mistake that he had just made trying to find her now. “I didn’t try to look for her, I thought she was just making her way down to the desert to clear her head.”

“Then...9 months had went by, and I hadn’t heard anything from her yet. I was beginning to get really worried, and even questioned the possibilities of her even being alive,” John was beginning to get a little irritable, as he remembers the time where he almost had a panic attack at the thought of his dead mother.

”I did what any worried child would do. I went against her wishes,” John begins to pull out his cell phone, supposedly to quickly explain how he did it. “And I began to look for her.”

John knew he probably shouldn’t have, but it was justifiable. She hadn’t contacted him for 9 months, nobody knew where she was, and John was beginning to worry about her safety. Uncle Bob nods. It didn’t tell him what he needed to know, but it was close.

**”Are the police aware?”**

Which was a good question, they were. But to John, it almost felt as though they didn’t. Due to how detached they seemed to the case.

”They somehow found out she was missing around the same time I did. Something about that seemed kinda odd to me, but I paid no attention to it,” John shrugs. He should consider paying attention to little details, though.

”They told me that they were “doing all they could” to find her, which was bullshit,” John spat. “They didn’t do jack shit. All they did was put out some clipart ass poster, and said they were leaving their “thoughts and prayers.”,” The thought of how lazy they were only made John more visibly angry.

”Prayers ain’t gonna cut it when somebody’s mother has been missing for 9 fucking months.”

Uncle Bob..had somewhat of an understanding of John’s rage? Anybody would be angry if that’s all their mother got, or rather anybody important to said person. But it wasn’t worth wasting energy over.

**”She’s found now.”**

And strangely enough, that did calm John down. Because the T-800 had a point. Thankfully, he found her. And he could rest a bit easier at night.

”Guess so,” Is all that managed to escape from John’s lips. And that’s all that they talked about for the time being. John and Uncle Bob continued to walk. It was getting darker, but John didn’t care. John would stop in a little bit, only cuz Uncle Bob would have made him. And a campsite wasn’t that far from here anyway. Besides, John finally had the one moment to relax himself after all the walking the two of them had did.

Would Sarah be happy to see John? That’s all John could think about.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up early, earlier than he had intended. If he wanted to beat the snowstorm, he had to sacrifice the time he spent asleep. So in actuality, John got around 3 hours of sleep. Which wasn’t healthy at all, especially in his case. But it’s what had to be done in terms of getting to Sarah’s new home. Food wasn’t much of an issue for John, as Uncle Bob made sure to kill anything that was edible and moved. And it wad nice to know that he didn’t have to worry about food while he was on this trip. The snowstorm was getting closer to them, a day and a half away. Or at least that’s what John believed, he wasn’t sure as he never checked. He didn’t want to, as he’d rather be kept in the dark when it came to how close he was to danger. Ignorance is bliss, as everyone would say.

The duo had been walking together for quite some time, and it seemed like Uncle Bob was more concerned for John’s health than getting to Sarah’s cabin before the snowstorm caught them. The last time John ate was around the time they were getting ready to find her, and Uncle Bob felt as though he needed food.

**”You should eat.”**

Which may be true, but John didn’t really feel the need to eat. He was hungry, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to eat just yet. More than likely it was his paranoia keeping him from eating.

”Do we have anything quick? I don’t think we should stop just yet.”

Maybe John had somewhat of a point, he had a reason for not wanting to stop. And Uncle Bob wasn’t gonna be the one to hold it against him. 

**”Your meal from last night.”**

He had been holding onto for quite some time now, and he intended to give it to him when he was feeling hungry again. John nods, accepting last night’s meal before returning with “Thanks.”

It tasted okay, compared to what it was last night anyway. But John supposed that it didn’t matter. As long as he had something to keep him going. The two of them didn’t make an attempt to try to talk to each other, what was there to talk about? There really wasn’t much aside from how cold it was, or Sarah Connor. And John quite frankly didn’t feel like talking about either of those. Partially because his mother was all he could think about at the moment.

It’s because of her and Uncle Bob that John had the opportunity to live to be 23 years old. And he couldn’t help but worry about what her reaction would be when she inevitably finds out that he went against her wishes and attempted to look for her. His intentions aren't to upset her nor are they to turn her in to whatever it is she’s running from. He just wants to make sure she’s okay, he _needs_ to make sure she’s okay. This was one of the ways John felt like..he was finally giving back what they gave him?

John had a feeling she would probably say the same thing she had said to him years ago 

_“You shouldn’t have come after me.”_

He’ll never understand as to why she had said that, they got her out of an insane asylum for god’s sake. She had been trying to do that for years, hasn’t she? It only felt right for him to do that, now that he could anyway. So why was she so..angry at him for doing that for her?   
  
Even if he was “important”, that didn’t mean that he was going to leave the person he loves most behind like that. It wouldn’t have felt right.

It wouldn’t have _been_ right.

All these thoughts were racing through his head, and he wasn’t sure if he should talk to Uncle Bob about it, would he even understand how he was feeling? Did he even really understand what it was like to _feel?_

Probably, to an extent. But most likely not enough for him to vent about it.

They were beginning to get closer to Sarah’s cabin, which was good. The closer they were, the less likely John was going to die in a snowstorm. Even if did come before they could do anything, Uncle Bob wasn’t going to give up getting John out of it until his heart stopped beating.

That was something to think about, and it was quite nice. But John figured they may as well get as close as they could to their destination. So that he wouldn’t be as likely to freeze to death.   
  
The two them had been walking for a few hours, and they decided to rest at another campsite. Which would make sense, John felt like his feet were killing him. These boots were pretty uncomfortable, and he wasn’t sure why else he picked these. Other than the fact that they’d keep his body warm.

So without much conversation, the two of them put their items aside, so that maybe John could move around if he needed to. John started to lie down, back first. While Uncle Bob sat next to him. It wasn’t as cold as it was two and a half nights ago, so there was no need for Uncle Bob to get any closer than he was to John.

John couldn’t fall asleep right away it seemed, his mind was on a lot at the moment. He missed Sarah, anybody could tell him that. The two of them had built a great relationship over the past few years. And the idea of losing her to whatever it was she was fleeing from seemed like a lot for John.

Everything between the two of them seemed so.. so perfect. Why now was everything starting to fall apart? John didn’t understand? It wasn’t like he deserved any of this, did he? It wasn’t like Sarah deserved this either, these events were starting to become disheartening, and John could feel his mental health declining due to how exhausting all of this was.

It started with Sarah’s disappearance, then the cops doing little to nothing to help him find her, driving him to find her location himself. Now he had to beat a snowstorm before it could get to him. And frankly, it was driving John crazy. All of this was happening in less than a year, and it was beginning to take it’s toll.

Soon, even his own thoughts were beginning to exhaust him. And he decided that he needed to rest, it was about time anyway. Uncle Bob would advise it too. John begins to prop himself up, his back against Uncle Bob’s, and he began to fall asleep. Uncle Bob didn’t have a reaction to John deciding to fall asleep on his back. If it warmed him up, he could do it. The T-800 had no plans to move anytime soon anyway. Uncle Bob stayed right where he was, looking out for anything that John could eat, or anything that might threaten to kill him. As long as he was safe, that was really his only concern. Whether or not John was safe and protected.


	4. Sarah Connor’s letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yep, this chapter’s purposely short.

_”It’s been around nine months since I had last seen John and his terminator. And I wonder how they’re doing. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to hear the sound of his voice, or see his face. And I guess I’m starting to miss it. I wish I had said goodbye to him though, assuming that text message was the last time I was ever going to have some sort of communication with John. And I hope he doesn’t miss me too much.”_

_”Frankly, I hope he doesn’t miss me at all. I don’t think he has a reason to. After all, our relationship wasn’t all that strong to begin with. But even if it wasn’t, I still loved him. And I hope he knows that.”_

_”Now that I’m gone, I don’t think I can help him anymore. And that’s great, that only means he can take care of himself now.”_

_”He doesn’t need me as much as he did anymore, and I think that’s better for the both of us. I can work on myself, start fresh, perhaps even begin a new life, and so can he.”_

_”Maybe the only downside of this “new life” I’m ready to live is that fact that John won’t be in it. But.. I’m okay with that. I want him to be, but he can’t.”_

_”Because to tell you the truth, I can’t put him through that pain anymore. The government is still trying to fuck me over, and the last thing I want is John getting hurt from all of this._

_”They won’t lay a finger on John, and by doing this I’ll make sure of that. I can sleep at night knowing that John isn’t completely alone. He still has the Terminator. But he likes to call him Uncle Bob.”_

_”And I appreciate him for being around for most of John’s childhood. For being around, and that’s probably the only reason why I’ve never attempted to kill it.”_

_”He kept his promise, he stayed with John. He’s never left John, he’s never hurt John, he’s never abused John, and he has **always** been there for John. And I appreciate that.”_

_”I really really appreciate that, and I can only hope that he continues to protect John.”_


	5. Chapter 5

> Morning had began to rise again, which wouldn’t have mattered to John. Considering he hasn’t been able to fall back asleep after waking up to the temperature drop. Though it wasn’t as bad as it was going to be in a little bit. Which was why Uncle Bob was so insistent that they should leave.

**”John, we need to leave. We need to go now.”**

Though you couldn’t see it in his facial expression, Uncle Bob was very frantic. The storm was close, and he could feel it just from the temperature drop. It wasn’t long before John’s thoughts were interrupted by Uncle Bob shaking John awake as calmly as he could. John stood up, not even questioning why he should get up and go. He already knew, and though he was against checking his watch to see how close it was, he needed to to save his life.

So he did. Looking at the watch, John could feel his anxiety buildup. The storm was close, dangerously close as well. Uncle Bob was right, they needed to leave. And they needed to leave as soon as possible.

”Shit..”

John curses under his breath, what did he bring with him again? John couldn’t even think straight for a moment, but he understood that he needed to calm down if he wanted to make sure he got out of this alive. The only thing he remembers bringing other than himself and Uncle Bob, was his shot gun. The shotgun that he only got to use when him and Uncle Bob were hunting for food. And that obviously went well, though food isn’t a concern for John at the moment.

He just needed to get him and Uncle Bob to Sarah’s cabin before the full effects of the storm start to hit, and they were already fairly close to the cabin. So hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long before they make it to the cabin.

And so the two of them began to walk again, only this time John began to walk a little bit faster than before. If he kept at this pace, they’ll surely make it to her cabin soon. At least that was what John_ thought._

**”How close are we?”**

John begins to flick his wrist again, reading through the information displayed to him, based on how far away they were from the cabin. Thankfully they weren’t very far, but not even John thought that he would make it.

”Here.”

Uncle Bob examines the information, then begins to nod. Satisfied with the information he had just received. There was a chance that they would make it, and John would be fine.

Again, John wasn’t sure if he was going to arrive alive. But he had Uncle Bob, so he decided to take his chances.

————————————-

Sarah sat on her kitchen table, coffee and cigarettes on her left, while her notebook was on her right. She had already written everything she was thinking the previous day. But it was always nice to write. Especially when you were like Sarah and didn’t have anybody to talk to. She sighs, twirling her pen in her hand while she looked out of the window of her cabin. Looks like a snowstorm was beginning to take place. Which only made Sarah sigh some more. Not because she disliked the change in weather, it was actually quite nice.

It may not have been nice to be in the middle of that storm, but it was still very soothing to look at for whatever reason. Her eyes wandered down to her table, only to meet her notebook, her cigarettes, and her pistol. Sitting at the far end of the table, because you can never be too sure that you’re safe. And Sarah had to learn this the hard way.

She elected to make herself a cup of coffee, it wasn’t like she needed to be awake for anything in the first place. But the sensation of the warm pitch black coffee making her way down her throat, felt so inviting to Sarah. Especially at a time like this, it would feel as though she was with somebody. Perhaps, it was John.

So she proceeded to make her coffee, looking out of the cabin window occasionally while she did. There was a particular moment like this she remembers spending with John. Maybe it was around...Christmas? Somewhere around that time. Even though it wasn’t snowing, it was still reasonably cool outside. Close enough to winter anyway. She was drinking coffee at her kitchen table, with John next to her. Drinking the exact same thing.

He was 22 around this time.. getting ready to 23. And though, she doesn’t remember the conversation the two of them were having, most likely, it was important. Or at least she hoped it was important.   
  
Her cup of coffee, along with herself is moved back to the coffee table. As soon as she seats herself back down, Sarah opens up her notebook. And begins to read through her notes. She learns that she really doesn’t seem to write about a lot of things, aside from John. Maybe she wasn’t as interesting as she once thought.

John was probably mentioned on every line of her notebook, she wondered how John was doing, wondered if John was eating well, wondered if John missed her too. Simply little things about John, but if John seemed to be the only person who had your back in times where you really needed somebody, you’d miss him too.

John was so precious, John _is _so precious. And it’s amazing how much he’s grown since they’ve reunited with each other. Now that nobody was out to kill John, and his T-800 would always be there to protect him. She was at peace. Even though John could protect himself now, Sarah was sure that John could use an extra set of hands at times.

She was proud of John, and she almost likes to imagine moments where the two of them are shooting things down with his T-800. For no objective, really. Only because they could, and John grew up to be a total badass. Appreciating the soft spot he had for his mother. 

John seemed to be all Sarah could think about, which was reasonable. Given how much he loved and cherished him. 

Her sweet thoughts about her son are soon interrupted by the sound of her doorknob falling off, and the sound of the door to her cabin hitting the wall behind it. Who the _hell _was that? It can’t be, it couldn’t have been. Was it..the government? Why couldn’t they fuck off? She’s not lying, she saved 3 billion lives from that day. And most of the government saw it happen too, was it this hard to believe?

And in the middle of her coffee too, quickly grabbing her pistol, she rushes to the door to see who the hell this was. And what she sees next..surprises her. And she had mixed feelings about it.

She observes Uncle Bob trying his hardest to make sure John stays alive. Though the conditions weren’t the best, he tried the best he could. Though, Uncle Bob dragging John in her cabin only made her worry. His breathing was frantic, and he wasn’t even standing.

”John?!”

She drops her pistol, rushing over to John to make sure he’s still alive. His heart is still beating, and he’s visibly breathing. Which is a good sign. Sarah begins to do the rest of the work for the Terminator. Dragging John to her couch, allowing him to warm himself up. As it was by the fire. She begins to remove his jacket, then proceeds to remove his boots, along with his other heavy clothing. And places it on the ground. 

She hoped that this would be enough for John to warm himself up, but now she needed away to keep all this cold air from coming in. She rushes over to the door, closing it to the best of her ability. It was a good thing Uncle Bob didn’t break the damn thing, that would have been beyond frustrating. 

“Could you take care of the knob? I need to tend to John.”

Sarah questions, running to a storage bin she had to see if she could get John a blanket. Or something to keep him warm.

**”Yes.”**

He begins to get to work on the knob, not even using tools to repair it. The T-800 puts the doorknob back together, turning the knob to see if it was fully functional.

The snow on the duo was already beginning to melt away, and John was thankfully beginning to warm up. He began to sit up, taking the blanket from his mother. Showing his gratitude with a simple “Thanks.”

This was part of the reason why Sarah would have just preferred if John didn’t try to look for her. In a way, she’s glad he did. But he would much rather have John alive and not worried about her then John dead trying to find her.

”John,” Her voice is stern, more stern than she would have wanted it to be. It was the first time she had seen her son in 9 god damn months, and she didn’t want to have to remind him that he went against her wishes. “I_ told _you not to look for me.”

John knew this, it was the last text he had read from mother before she disappeared. Did John care? Not at the moment, but he should.

”I don’t know what you expected..” His breathing was beginning to calm down significantly, and he was starting to warm up. But only Sarah could tell that he was in pain, even if it wasn’t physical, it was there. “You can’t disappear for nine months and expect me not to do anything.”

Sarah wasn’t going to lie, John was right. She shouldn’t have left John behind the way she did. Even if it was for her own safety, but this was beside the point. 

“I did it because I needed to protect you, John.”

Not in the way she may want to think, but in a way. She felt like keeping the reason why she’s fleeing from John would be protecting him in a way. She didn’t _do _anything wrong, but John really didn’t need the stress of this in his life.

”Protect me from what?! Is someone else trying to kill you?”

At this point, Uncle Bob decided to walk in. Though, he wasn’t going to contribute anything to this argument. This should stay between John and Sarah. He was sure they really didn’t need a machine barging in on their argument.

”That’s not what it’s about, John.” Sarah was only becoming more frustrated. She _really_ John hadn’t come. Especially because she just witnessed how close he was to freezing to death. She didn’t even wanna imagine what things would have been like had Uncle Bob not come with him. “And I’m keeping you out of it. It doesn’t concern you, and we should keep it that way.”

John was beginning to get a little frustrated too, maybe a bit more than he needed to be. After all, this didn’t concern him. But it wasn’t about him either. 

“You felt as though you needed to run away. If you’re in danger, you need to fucking tell me.”

She appreciated his concern, but she really would just prefer if he didn’t know a thing.

”You’re not my bodyguard, John. I don’t _need_ to tell you anything.”

Sarah protests. John was really persistent, probably got it from his father. At least that’s what Sarah would like to think. But it was more than likely from her.

Quite frankly, that statement cut John deep. Why doesn’t she tell him anything? This wasn’t even about him, it was about Sarah. All John wished to do was to give back everything she had given him, why wasn’t she letting him?

It was frankly quite annoying, and very disheartening. John didn’t even understand why that statement hurt him so much. Probably because he spent 3 days trying to get to this place. And now that he was here, she wasn’t all that thrilled to see him. At least that’s what it had appeared to be.

John let out a shaky, leaning back into the seat. Uninvited tears were already threatening to fall from his eye lids, and it’s not like he was going to hide the fact that he felt unappreciated. He probably should have just stayed where he was. He shouldn’t have come.

“We came for nothing, then.”   
  


Even though John’s expression was completely blank, all you needed to do was take a look at his eyes to see that he wasn’t okay. Maybe doing this wasn’t a good idea.

”I..” There was a long pause for a moment, Sarah didn’t wanna make him believe that this was for nothing. “I don’t know what to tell you, John. You might as well stay now though, considering you’re already here.”

Oh, great. Telling John that he could stay was somehow going to magically stop his tears from flowing. But John supposed it was better than nothing. So he sighs, staring at the fire ahead of him.

”Sure, whatever.”

Which only got a sigh out of Sarah, she could tell that he was upset. He had every reason to be, didn’t stop her from trying to make it better for him though.

Once the argument was proven over, Uncle Bob decided to step in to make sure that John was okay. Though, John felt so frustrated, so angry, and so heartbroken, that he forgot he was even there.

**”Are you okay, John?”**

He wasn’t in the mood for his hospitality, so he did everything he possibly could to wave it off. He wasn’t in the mood to bring up the conversation, nor his tears.

”It’s fine, I’m alright.”

His tone sounded quite aggressive for somebody insisting that they were “alright”. Uncle Bob may not have know a whole lot about human emotion, but he knew enough to know that John definitely was not okay.

**”Are you sure, John? You’re crying.”**

Jesus he _really _wished he hadn’t said that. He knows he’s crying, he knows how much it hurts. And he doesn’t feel like being reminded of the argument that he just had.

”I said I’m fine!,” That was the first time he had ever raised his voice at the T-800. He never meant anything by it, he just wanted to be left in his thoughts alone. “Please..just leave me alone.”

Uncle Bob nods, offering not to pry any further than he already had. He leaves the room, entering the kitchen area. Doing nothing more than looking out the window. Uncle Bob doesn’t offer to make any other movements for the entire night. John wanted to be alone, so Uncle Bob elected to leave him alone.

John’s uproar caught the attention of Sarah though, and she’s not very please by the way he treated the T-800 moments ago. She makes her way back to the couch, glaring John in the eyes.

”You know better than to take your anger out on _him_, John. You’re better than this.”

Which only seemed to get a groan out of John, but Sarah wasn’t having any of it today.

”Listen to me, John. That machine is willing to do _**anything**_ for you. He stays by your side, he protects you, and he _loves _you, John.”   
  


Even if his understanding on love was very basic, she knew that was the only way to express his dedication to him.

”He’d die for you, John. And I don’t _ever_ wanna hear you speak to him that way again, understood?”

And while John was still very displeased at the situation, maybe she had a point. Maybe that wave off wasn’t necessary.

”Understood.”

Huffed John. Sarah wasn’t going to make him apologize to the machine, he wasn’t five. And she was pretty sure she had gotten her point across.

”Good. Now, do you want some coffee?”

That didn’t sound like a bad idea, coffee sounded really soothing at the moment too.

”Sure.”

Sarah sighs, getting up from the couch to pour John a cup of coffee, bringing it to him as soon as it makes it’s way to the mug.

”Thanks.”

Sarah nods, heading back to the kitchen just so that she could continue writing in her notebook.

John sighs, still staring at the lit fire in front of him. He takes occasional sips of coffee, wiping away his tears as they were beginning to irritate his cheek. And he proceeded to just sit there.

Perhaps John was a little bit too harsh on the cyborg and he couldn’t help but feel awful for yelling at him. Sarah really did drive her point home. Even though he once tried to kill her. Strangely, he was like family. Maybe it was because he was a father figure to John.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been awhile. Figured I should finally finish this fic so I can continue it and attempt to make it more interesting.

“Rise and Shine, John.”

It’s only 8am, yet Sarah had somehow made herself adjust to waking up earlier. Perhaps it was because of trauma that was still lingering in the back of her mind. Even though she had isolated herself from the rest of the world. Moving to a new state and everything, she was still paranoid.

John’s eyelids slowly begin to open. He sighs, trying his best to fight off the urge to sleep. He looked over to see where the Terminator was. He remained at that window, looking out of it for any signs of danger. John slowly rises from the couch, letting out a soft yawn.

“Made you some more coffee.”

Sarah states softly, handing her son the mug. Clearly it was fresh, given how hot the bottom of the mug was. John nods, returning with a simple “thanks.” Before taking a sip of the drink. Though, John did have to wonder where Sarah would even find a place where they would be able to find coffee.

“Where’d you even get coffee in a place like this?”

John asks, setting the mug down. Sarah softly laughs, before explaining it to John.

“Surprisingly enough, other people live around this area. We do our best to keep each other alive, giving each other whatever we have. Food, water, occasionally things like coffee. It’s a lot different from what life’s like in the city.”

Sarah explains, gaining a nod from John.

“Coffee’s pretty good at least.”

John remarks, only receiving a smile from Sarah.

“It’s fresh. Best part of living in the country, fresh coffee.”

John laughs for whatever reason, nothing about what she said was funny but maybe he laughed because she had somewhat of a point.

“Have you ever considered moving,” John questions as he sets the mug down. “Not back to the city but y’know,  _ somewhere _ else?”

Sarah takes a minute to think about it, before nodding. Revealing her plans.

“When it starts to warm up, that’s when I’ll leave. I have plans to go somewhere else. Maybe I’ll go back to California, do you remember the place you and I went when we were protecting you from the T-1000?”

John nods, he remembers how wild that experience was.

“Yeah. You’re going there?”

Sarah nods, leaning back into the seat.

“You might as well come with me, I wasn’t going to tell you but you already found me. How did you find me anyway?”

“Cell phone,” John responds. “Oh, yeah. And this watch.”

“Of course.”

Sarah sighs. John had just finished his coffee. She picks up the mug, heading back into the kitchen.

“Do you want more?”

Asks Sarah, John shakes his head. Letting her know that he’s alright. Sarah nods, walking into the kitchen. While she makes her way to the kitchen, John stands up. Making his way to the T-800, he nods as he approaches him. Putting a hand in his pocket.

“I’m sorry for last night. I could have handled that better.”

The T-800 doesn’t respond to that, there was no need to apologize to him. It was a heat-of-the-moment type reaction. Instead, he turns back to the window. At this point just looking out of it.

“I’m sorry, man. Are you gonna be mad at me forever?”

John couldn’t help but wonder if he was even possible for him to feel that way.

**“Who says that I am mad?”**

He couldn’t feel any emotion all that well anyway, but at least he tried. John sighs, as he elects to start walking around his mother’s cabin.

“Just take it easy, alright?”

John begins to start exploring rooms, there wasn’t much of anything that was worth noting. Not until he made it to Sarah’s room.

He starts to look around, this may just be the comfiest room in the house. Given how warm it felt. He began to look around some more. Before accidentally knocking over her journal. He picks it up as soon as he can, though when he picks it up. He’s soon intrigued by the theme of this journal.

Sarah seemed to write a lot about John, which isn’t too uncommon for a mother who misses their child. He sighs as reads through it. And can’t help but smile as he reads some of the things she’s written about him. He puts the journal down, and soon begins to sit on her bed. Looking around the room, observing it’s environment. John truly did not feel whatever it was he was feeling enough.

Sarah soon begins to enter the room, tilting her head. As she had never seen her son so...at peace before.

“Are you comfortable?”

The sound of Sarah’s voice startled John for a little bit, he wasn’t sure how long she was standing there. And it’s embarrassing to think that she was there while he was smiling at the things she’s written about him. John gulps, all while giving a very warm and genuine smile.

“I am.”

“And what about Bob?”

Asks Sarah.

“You know what? I’m sure he’s alright too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first finished fic! Feels good. Thanks for reading this if you’ve made it this far! 💕


End file.
